Does the traditional Chinese medicine theory of five circuits and six qi improve treatment effectiveness?A systematic review of randomized controlled trials

Objective:To evaluate whether the traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)theory of five circuits and six qi(FCSQ)is beneficial in terms of improving clinical effectiveness.Methods:Randomized controlled trials(RCTs)evaluating the clinical value of FCSQ theory were reviewed.Multiple databases(China Network Knowledge Infrastructure,Chinese Scienti fic Journals Database,Wanfang Data,SinoMed,Cochrane Library,PubMed,and Embase)weresystematically searched from inception to June 12,2018.Two authors independently extracted the data and performed a methodological quality assessment of the RCTs.RevMan 5.3 software was used for the data analysis.The effect sizes for the primary outcome measures were expressed as relative risks or mean differences with 95%confidence intervals.Results:A total of 13 RCTs were selected,involving 12 types of diseases and 4695 patients.The methodological quality of the RCTs was generally low.Five studies compared the effectiveness of TCM treatments guided by FCSQ theory with conventional TCM therapies,and the remaining eight studies compared the effectiveness of TCM treatments guided by FCSQ theory with biomedical treatments.All of the RCTs reported that the effectiveness of the treatment intervention was better than that of the intervention in the control group.Conclusion:Because of many methodological problems in existing clinical studies,it remains impossible to definitively conclude that FCSQ theory can improve clinical effectiveness.It is difficult to unify the clinical application of FCSQ theory.The feasibility and repeatability of FCSQas an intervention should be given more attention in future clinical research.Future work should also follow international norms for clinical research implementation and reporting to provide high-quality evidence for evaluating the clinical value of FCSQ theory.

Effect of Meteorological Factors on Incidence of Tuberculosis:A 15-Year Retrospective Study Based on Chinese Medicine Theory of Five Circuits and Six Qi

ABSTRACT Objective： To analyze the correlations between the incidence of tuberculosis and meteorological factors over the same period and previous periods including 1, 2 and 3 years ago, defined according to the Chinese medicine theory of five circuits （Wu Yun） and six qi, to establish medical-meteorological forecast models for the Beijing area of China. Methods： Data regarding the incidence of tuberculosis between 1990 and 2004 were obtained from the Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and the data regarding the meteorological factors （including daily average temperatures, wind speeds, precipitations, relative humidities, vapor pressures and low cloud covers） between 1987 and 2004 were collected from the Beijing Meteorological Observatory and analyzed. Descriptive statistics and a back-propagation artificial neural network were adopted to analyze the data. Results： There were significant correlations between the incidence of tuberculosis and the meteorological factors in the corresponding year and previous years. Among these correlations, wind speed was the factor with the strongest influence on tuberculosis （the standardized significance was 100%）. Additionally, all prediction models would successfully established, suggesting the use of a collection of meteorological factors spanning from three years ago to the present is superior to the use of single data. Conclusions： The incidence of tuberculosis in Beijing area is correlated to meteorological factors in the current year and previous years, which verifies the practicality of the theory of five circuits and six qi.

Spatiotemporal Evolution of Urban Heat Islands and Optimization of Spatial Network Construction in the Central Urban Area of Fuzhou City, China

Although accelerated urbanization has led to economic prosperity,it has also resulted in urban heat island effects.Therefore,identifying methods of using limited urban spaces to alleviate heat islands has become an urgent issue.In this study,we assessed the spatiotemporal evolution of urban heat islands within the central urban area of Fuzhou City,China from 2010 to 2019.This assessment was based on a morphological spatial pattern analysis(MSPA)model and an urban thermal environment spatial network constructed us-ing the minimum cumulative resistance(MCR)model.Optimization measures for the spatial network were proposed to provide a theor-etical basis for alleviating urban heat islands.The results show that the heat island area within the study area gradually increased while that of urban cold island area gradually decreased.The core area was the largest of the urban heat island patch landscape elements with a significant impact on other landscape elements,and represented an important factor underlying urban heat island network stability.The thermal environment network revealed a total of 197 thermal environment corridors and 93 heat island sources.These locations were then optimized according to the current land use,which maximized the potential of 1599.83 ha.Optimization based on current land use led to an increase in climate resilience,with effective measures showing reduction in thermal environment spatial network structure and function,contributing to the mitigation of urban heat island.These findings support the use of current land use patterns during urban heat island mitigation measure planning,thus providing an important reference basis for alleviating urban heat island effects.

Impacts of multi-scenario land use change on ecosystem services and ecological security pattern: A case study of the Yellow River Delta

The Yellow River Delta(YRD), a critical economic zone along China's eastern coast, also functions as a vital ecological reserve in the lower Yellow River. Amidst rapid industrialization and urbanization, the region has witnessed significant land use/cover changes(LUCC), impacting ecosystem services(ES) and ecological security patterns(ESP). Investigating LUCC's effects on ES and ESP in the YRD is crucial for ecological security and sustainable development. This study utilized the PLUS model to simulate 2030 land use scenarios, including natural development(NDS), economic development(EDS), and ecological protection scenarios(EPS). Subsequently, the InVEST model and circuit theory were applied to assess ES and ESP under varying LUCC scenarios from 2010 to 2030. Findings indicate:(1) Notable LUCC from 2010 to 2030, marked by decreasing cropland and increasing construction land and water bodies.(2) From 2010 to 2020, improvements were observed in carbon storage,water yield, soil retention, and habitat quality, whereas 2020–2030 saw increases in water yield and soil retention but declines in habitat quality and carbon storage. Among the scenarios, EPS showed superior performance in all four ES.(3) Between 2010 and 2030, ecological sources, corridors, and pinchpoints expanded, displaying significant spatial heterogeneity. The EPS scenario yielded the most substantial increases in ecological sources,corridors, and pinchpoints, totaling 582.89 km^(2), 645.03 km^(2),and 64.43 km^(2), respectively. This study highlights the importance of EPS, offering insightful scientific guidance for the YRD's sustainable development.

Study on the Biological Basis of Qi, Blood, and Vessel in Immune Thrombocytopenia Patients With Syndrome of Qi Failing to Govern Blood Based on the Theory of Qi and Blood

Objective: To investigate the biological basis of qi, blood and vessel in immune thrombocytopenia(ITP) patients with syndrome of qi failing to govern blood(SQFGB) based on traditional Chinese medicine.Methods: A total of 52 ITP patients with SQFCB were enrolled and divided into bleeding group(38 cases) and non-bleeding group(14 cases).Bleeding group was further divided into mild qi deficiency group(25 cases) and moderate/severe qi deficiency group(13 cases) based on Chinese Medicine syndrome score.20 healthy volunteer were recruited as control group.The count of platelet(PLT) was taken as the blood related indicator.The expressions of cytokines including IL-1β, IL-17 A, TNF-α, CD40 L, and TGF-β, detected by Aim Plex Multiple Immunoassays for Flow, were taken as the qi related indicators.The expressions of VEGF-A, detected by Aim Plex Multiple Immunoassays for Flow and NO, NOS, and ET-1 detected by ELISA, were taken as the vessel related indicators.Results: As compared to the control group, the count of PLT, taken as the blood related indicator, was significantly lower in ITP group patients with SQFCB(P<0.05).The expression levels of IL-17 A and TNF-α, taken as the qi related indicators, were significantly higher, while those of CD40 L, IL-1β, and TGF-β, also taken as the qi related indicators, were significantly lower in ITP patients with SQFCB, respectively(P<0.05).The expression levels of NO and ET-1, taken as the vessel related indicators, were significantly higher, while the expression levels of NOS and VEGF-A also taken as the vessel related indicators, were significantly lower in ITP patients with SQFCB, respectively(P<0.05).The count of PLT, taken as the blood related indicator, was significantly lower in moderate/severe group than those in mild group(P<0.05).The expression levels of CD40 L and TGF-β, taken as the qi related indicators, were also significantly lower in moderate/severe group than those in mild group, respectively(P<0.05).Conclusion: The count of PLT might be the biological basis of blood.The expressions of NO, NOS, ET-1 and VEGF-A might be the biological basis of vessel.The expressions of IL-1β, IL-17 A, TNF-α, TGF-β, and CD40 L may be the biological basis of qi.The expressions of CD40 L and TGF-β could reflect the degree of qi deficiency in ITP patients based on the theory of qi and blood.

A Discussion on the Constitution Factors of Thin Endometrium Based on the Theory of Qi and Blood

Thin endometrium has been proven to be a key contributing factor leading to infertility and poor pregnancy outcomes.Increasing the thickness and capacity of thin endometrium seems to be one of the challenging issues in reproductive medicine.The states of qi and blood are closely related to uterine blood circulation.Constitution is regarded as an important basis for determining the incidence as well as distinguishing,preventing,and treating diseases in traditional Chinese medicine.Based on the theory of qi and blood,this paper discusses the constitution factors of thin endometrium and puts forward the prospect of using big data tools to investigate the correlation between qi-blood imbalance constitution and the incidence of thin endometrium,so as to explore new approaches for the prevention and treatment of thin endometrium by regulating qi and blood as well as improving the constitution condition.

DESIGN OF TERNARY CURRENT-MODE CMOS CIRCUITS BASED ON SWITCH-SIGNAL THEORY

By applying switch-signal theory, the interaction between MOS transmission switch-ing transistor and current signal in current-mode CMOS circuits is analyzed, and the theory oftransmission current-switches which is suitable to current-mode CMOS circuits is proposed. Thecircuits, such as ternary full-adder etc., designed by using this theory have simpler circuit struc-tures and correct logic functions. It is confirmed that this theory is efficient in guiding the logicdesign of current-mode CMOS circuits at switch level.

ANALYSIS OF CIRCUIT TOLERANCE BASED ON RANDOM SET THEORY

Monte Carlo Analysis has been an accepted method for circuit tolerance analysis, but the heavy computational complexity has always prevented its applications. Based on random set theory, this paper presents a simple and flexible tolerance analysis method to estimate circuit yield. It is the alternative to Monte Carlo analysis, but reduces the number of calculations dramatically.

SYNTHESIS OF MULTIVALUED CMOS CIRCUITS WITH MANY VARIABLES BASED ON TRANSMISSION FUNCTION THEORY

Based on transmission function theory,the synthesis technique for multivaluedCMOS circuits is discussed.By comparing the CMOS circuits based on transmission functiontheory with the T gate,it is shown that their action principles are identical.Based on it,thesynthesis method for multivalued CMOS circuits with many variables by using function decom-position is proposed.

Quantum simulation of lattice gauge theories on superconducting circuits:Quantum phase transition and quench dynamics

Recently,quantum simulation of low-dimensional lattice gauge theories(LGTs)has attracted many interests,which may improve our understanding of strongly correlated quantum many-body systems.Here,we propose an implementation to approximate Z;LGT on superconducting quantum circuits,where the effective theory is a mixture of a LGT and a gauge-broken term.By using matrix product state based methods,both the ground state properties and quench dynamics are systematically investigated.With an increase of the transverse(electric)field,the system displays a quantum phase transition from a disordered phase to a translational symmetry breaking phase.In the ordered phase,an approximate Gauss law of the Z;LGT emerges in the ground state.Moreover,to shed light on the experiments,we also study the quench dynamics,where there is a dynamical signature of the spontaneous translational symmetry breaking.The spreading of the single particle of matter degree is diffusive under the weak transverse field,while it is ballistic with small velocity for the strong field.Furthermore,due to the emergent Gauss law under the strong transverse field,the matter degree can also exhibit confinement dynamics which leads to a strong suppression of the nearest-neighbor hopping.Our results pave the way for simulating the LGT on superconducting circuits,including the quantum phase transition and quench dynamics.

A General Method in the Synthesis of Ternary Double Pass-Transistor Circuits

A general method for designing ternary circuits using double pass-transistor logic is investigated. The logical relation of each MOS transistor is formulated by using the transmission operation in order to make effective and practical use of the circuits. A way to generate ternary complementary and dual circuits by applying the complementarity and duality principles is presented. This new static ternary double pass-transistor logic scheme has some favorable properties：the use of standard CMOS process without any modification of the thresholds, a perfectly symmetrical structure,a full logic swing, the maximum possible noise margins, a less complex structure, and no static power consumption. HSPICE simulations using TSMC 0.25μm CMOS technology and a 3V power supply demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed design.

DESIGN OF nMOS QUATERNARY FLIP-FLOPS AND THEIR APPLICATIONS

By using the theory of clipping voltage-switches, two kinds of master/slave nMOS quaternary flip-flops are designed. These flip-flops have the capability of two-input presetting and double-rail complementary outputs. It is shown that these flip-flops are effectively suitable to design nMOS quaternary sequential circuits by designing two examples of hexadecimal up-counter and decimal up-counter.

Transmission upper limit of band-pass double-layer FSS and method of transmission performance improvement

The transmission upper limit of a double-layer frequency selective surface （FSS） with two infinitely thin metal arrays is pre- sented based on the study of the general equivalent transmission line model of a double-layer FSS. Results of theoretical analyses, numerical simulations and experiments show that this transmis- sion upper limit is independent of the array and the element, which indicates that it is impossible to achieve a transmission upper limit higher than this one under a given incident and dielectric- supporting condition by the design of the periodic array. Both the applicable condition and the possible application of the transmis- sion upper limit are discussed. The results show that the transmis- sion upper limit not only has a good reachability, but also provides a key to effectively improve the transmission performance of a double-layer FSS or more complex frequency selective structures.

Design, Fabrication, and Modeling of CMOS-Compatible Double Photodiode

A double photodiode (PD) constructed by p+/N-well junction and N-well/p-sub junction was designed and fabricated in a UMC 0.18-μm CMOS process. Based on the device structure and mechanism of double PD, a novel small-signal equivalent circuit model considering the carrier transit effect and the parasitic RC time constant was presented. By this model with complete electronic components, the double PD can be incorporated in a commercial circuit simulator. The component values were extracted by fitting the measured S-parameters using simulated annealing algorithm, and a good agreement between the measurement and the simulation results was achieved. © 2017, Tianjin University and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

DESIGN OF SYMMETRIC TERNARY CURRENT-MODE CMOS CIRCUITS

By applying switch-signal theory, the theory of transmission current-switches based on symmetric ternary logic is proposed, this theory is suitable to design symmetric ternary current-mode CMOS circuits. The symmetric ternary current-mode CMOS circuits designed by using this theory not only have simpler circuit structures and correct logic functions, but also can process bidirectional signals.

The Changes in the Neck Meridian Test Scores Induced by Self-Administered Acupressure: A Secondary Analysis of Data from a Randomized Controlled Trial of Self-Administered Acupressure

In the neck meridian test, the examinee stretches his or her neck in four directions and rates the intensity of pain and/or symptoms on a four point Likert scale. The four responses are summed to calculate the test score. This study conducted secondary analyses of data from a randomized controlled trial of self-administered acupressure. The study aimed to examine the change of the neck meridian test score induced by self-administered acupressure. The data of 54 (male, n = 34;female, n = 20) students, who were randomly assigned to an intervention group (IG) and a control group (CG), were subjected to secondary analyses. The IG participants were asked to complete a self-administered acupressure intervention for two weeks;the CG participants were not. In the IG, the perceived stress decreased significantly over time, while the neck meridian test score decreased significantly;in contrast, this score increased in the CG. A significant positive correlation was found between the changes in the perceived stress and neck meridian test scores. These results supported validity of the neck meridian test as a tool for assessing perceived stress.

A Study on the Theories of Qi in the Middle Ming Dynasty

The revival of qi theory in the middle Ming dynasty is crucial in the development of Confucianism.In this stage,Luo Qinshun,Wang Yangming,Wang Tingxiang,and LüNan discussed issues such as the relationship between li(principle)and qi(vital energy),the relationship between xing(human nature)and qi,and gongfu(e ort)for the theory of qi. e multifaceted debates between them are relevant to the development of Neo-Confucianism and the issues of Confucianism in the Ming and Qing dynasties,demonstrating the features of mid-Ming Confucian theories of qi.A general survey of the four Confucian scholars’theories of qi,especially the transition from li–qi monism to the xing–qi connection,reveals that how to establish the unity between the universe and human nature in the theories of qi became a central concern of mid-Ming Confucianism.In addition,the gongfu for the theory of qi represented a new level of the holistic development of Ming Confucianism,though it su ered setbacks in its development.

气机升降理论内涵及不寐病辨证分型探讨

气机升降理论是“汉派李氏脑病流派”辨治不寐病的核心理论思想,基于气机升降理论将不寐病分为升降太过和升降不及两大类,根据气机运行的部位、气的多少、气机升降出入的不同形式将不寐病分为营卫不和型、脏腑气机失调型、阴阳不交型三大类型;每一类型又有各自不同亚型,共有卫阳虚不敛营阴证、卫气盛夜不入营阴证、卫气入于阴而日不得出于阳证、肝胆气机疏泄失调证、心肾气机上下相济失调证、脾升胃降枢机失调证、阳不入阴证、阳盛阴虚证、阴不潜阳证九种亚型,并表现出各自独有的临床特征。基于气机升降理论的辨证分型法补充完善了现阶段不寐病辨证分型类别,为临床诊治不寐病开拓了新思路。

基于气机升降理论的针灸组方对心肾不交型失眠患者睡眠质量和睡眠进程的影响

目的探讨分析基于气机升降理论的针灸组方对心肾不交型失眠患者睡眠质量和睡眠进程的影响。方法前瞻性选取2019年1月—2021年12月收治入院的84例心肾不交型失眠患者根据随机数字表法分为治疗A组(42例)和治疗B组(42例)。治疗A组予以常规针法治疗,治疗B组患者则予以基于气机升降理论的针灸组方治疗。评估两组患者的实际睡眠总时间、PSQI量表评分、睡眠进程参数、入睡时间、日间功能障碍以及不良反应。结果干预后两组纳入患者的PSQI量表评分较干预前均有了显著改善(P<0.05),且干预后治疗B组患者的PSQI量表评分显著低于治疗A组(P<0.05);干预后两组纳入患者的睡眠进程参数指标较干预前均有显著改善(P<0.05),且干预后治疗B组患者的总睡眠时间、睡眠效率指标显著高于治疗A组,而睡眠潜伏期、觉醒时间指标则显著低于治疗A组(P<0.05);干预后两组纳入患者入睡时间、日间功能障碍较干预前均显著降低(P<0.05),且干预后治疗B组患者的入睡时间、日间功能障碍均显著低于治疗A组(P<0.05);干预后两组纳入患者的实际睡眠总时间较干预前均有了显著改善(P<0.05),且干预后治疗B组患者的实际睡眠总时间显著高于治疗A组(P<0.05);两组心肾不交型失眠患者在治疗期间均未出现严重不良反应,干预方案安全性良好。治疗A组患者出现穿刺处血肿4例、穿刺处感染2例、滞针4例,总出现率为23.81%(10/42);治疗B组患者出现穿刺处血肿1例、穿刺处感染0例、滞针1例,总出现率为4.76%(2/42),且治疗B组患者的总出现率显著低于治疗A组(P<0.05)。结论基于气机升降理论的针灸组方治疗心肾不交型失眠患者,其临床干预效果显著,可有效改善患者的PSQI量表评分以及睡眠进程参数,缩短入睡时间,提高实际睡眠总时间,缓解日间功能障碍,且不良反应少。

基于气络学说运用芪归通络口服液联合艾灸治疗气虚血瘀型慢性疲劳综合征的临床观察

【目的】观察基于气络学说,运用芪归通络口服液(广东省第二中医院院内制剂,由黄芪、当归、三七、赤芍、牛膝、鸡血藤、丹参、地龙等中药组成)联合艾灸治疗气虚血瘀型慢性疲劳综合征(chronic fatigue syndrome,CFS)的临床疗效。【方法】采用回顾性研究方法,根据治疗方法的不同将60例气虚血瘀型CFS患者分为观察组和对照组,每组各30例。对照组给予艾条温和灸神阙穴治疗,观察组在对照组的基础上联合芪归通络口服液治疗,疗程为4周。观察2组患者治疗前后中医证候积分、疲劳量表-14(FS-14)评分、血清免疫球蛋白IgA、IgM、IgG含量及皮质醇(COR)水平的变化情况,并评价2组患者的临床疗效和安全性。【结果】(1)疗效方面,治疗4周后,观察组的总有效率为96.67%(29/30),对照组为80.00%(24/30),组间比较,观察组的临床疗效明显优于对照组(P<0.05)。(2)量表评分方面,治疗后,2组患者的中医证候积分、FS-14评分均较治疗前明显降低(P<0.01),且观察组对中医证候积分、FS-14评分的降低作用均明显优于对照组(P<0.01)。(3)实验室指标方面,治疗后,2组患者血清IgA、IgG水平以及观察组血清IgM、COR水平均较治疗前明显升高(P<0.01),且观察组对血清IgA、IgM、IgG及COR水平的升高作用均明显优于对照组(P<0.05或P<0.01)。(4)安全性方面,治疗过程中,2组患者均未发生明显不良反应。【结论】基于中医气络学说,以正虚络阻为CFS核心病机,运用补虚通络法,采用芪归通络口服液联合艾灸治疗气虚血瘀型CFS患者疗效确切,能明显缓解患者的临床症状,提高患者的免疫力水平,调节患者的神经-内分泌-免疫(NEI)网络。